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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23182339">Leather: It's More Than An Aesthetic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair'>Aria_Lerendeair</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Magnus Bane Birthday Bash 2019 [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crack Fic, Leather Jackets, M/M, Shadowhunter Culture, Wonderful and ridiculous</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:09:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,351</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23182339</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Black was for hunting, Magnus knew that much.  </p><p>But honestly.  What was with all of the leather? </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Magnus Bane Birthday Bash 2019 [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666054</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>353</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Leather: It's More Than An Aesthetic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt from Saeths for the Magnus Bane Birthday Bash: For the Magnus Birthday Bash prompt: Maybe more of Magnus learning something strange about Nephilim culture? Maybe in a funnier context where he cannot *believe* this is a thing, what is the deal with all of you, with Alec trying to defend himself?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Magnus stopped next to Alec in the center of Ops and sipped his coffee, idly looking around at the assembled shadowhunters for the mission they were about to go on.  All very serious, very attentive expressions, but there was one thing he couldn’t stop noticing.  </p><p>
  <em><br/>
Leather jacket.  Leather jacket.  Leather jacket, leather pants.  Leather jacket.  </em>
</p><p><br/>
He squinted and looked to Izzy, who was wearing a gorgeous, and short, red dress…and a leather jacket.  </p><p><br/>
“There’s more leather in here than in Pandemonium on a Saturday night,” he muttered, glancing around.  Magnus heard Izzy snort and caught her eye, giving her a quick wink before turning back to the briefing.  </p><p><br/>
Black was for hunting, he knew that much.  </p><p><br/>
But honestly.  What was <em>with</em> all of the leather? </p><p><br/>
He’d just have to ask Alexander later.  </p><p><br/>
~!~</p><p><br/>
“Well that went better than anticipated,” Magnus said, sinking onto the couch with a groan.  His fingertips were still twinging with pain after he’d had to pick up the adamas blade to defend himself from the demon that had broken through the ranks of shadowhunters.  </p><p><br/>
“I don’t know that I’d say that,” Alec protested, looking at Magnus from where he was already slumped on the couch.  "But at least no one was seriously hurt.“ </p><p><br/>
Magnus hummed his agreement, relaxing back into the comfortable couch.  The creak of Alec’s leather jacket reminded him of what he’d wanted to ask earlier and he opened his eyes, giving the shadowhunter next to him a contemplative look.  </p><p><br/>
"What?” Alec muttered, opening both his eyes to stare at Magnus.  "Why are you giving me that look?  Stop it.“  </p><p><br/>
"I have a question,” Magnus started, narrowing his eyes at Alec.  "But I don’t want you to…answer it at the same time.“</p><p><br/>
Alec blinked a few times at Magnus and tried to parse that.  "Okay, you’re going to have to ask whatever the hell it is, because I cannot parse through that to save my life.”  </p><p><br/>
Magnus huffed and rolled his eyes.  "In the grand scheme of things I don’t think it means anything, but it also might, so I’m curious.“  </p><p><br/>
Alec raised both of his eyebrows.  "That’s…cryptic.”  </p><p><br/>
“Actually cryptic this time, too,” Magnus muttered, shifting to lean against the couch so he could study Alec.  He thought back to standing in Ops.  A vast majority of the shadowhunters had been wearing leather of some sort, even if it was only boots.  </p><p><br/>
“Hurry up and ask, I can see it’s eating away at you,” Alec grumbled, staring at him.  </p><p><br/>
“All right,” Magnus said, looking up and down Alec’s body in a slow sweep.  "What is with all of the leather?  Is it a culture thing?“  </p><p><br/>
Alec blinked.  "What?”  </p><p><br/>
“The leather thing,” Magnus said with a gesture to Alec’s jacket.  "You all wear what I would consider a truly excessive amount of leather-“</p><p><br/>
"Magnus, you wear leather pants several days a week,” Alec interrupted.  </p><p><br/>
“Yes, but I wear them for aesthetic purposes, my darling.  I like how you stare at my ass when I do,” Magnus shot back, a smirk firmly affixed to his face.  "I’m reasonably sure that shadowhunters are not wearing leather <em>for the aesthetic</em>.“  </p><p><br/>
Alec tilted his head and then turned to look up at the ceiling.  "Well, no, because with the exception of some shadowhunters like Izzy, we just don’t care.”  </p><p><br/>
“Right,” Magnus drawled.  "So, why all the leather?  I mean, the Institute can put BDSM clubs to shame most days, and that is a truly impressive feat.“  </p><p><br/>
Alec snorted and shook his head, rolling his eyes.  "It’s not that bad, Magnus.”  </p><p><br/>
“Ten of the twelve shadowhunters that went on the mission with us today were wearing leather jackets, yourself, Isabelle, Jace and Clary included,” Magnus said, ticking off his fingers.  "I can count on one hand the number of people I saw in the Institute who weren’t wearing some sort of leather, because even if you don’t wear it, your boots almost always are.“  </p><p><br/>
Alec stopped and thought about it, nodding along.  "I suppose you’re right.”  </p><p><br/>
“Right,” Magnus said, nodding.  "But here’s the thing, I want to know why.  Because leather, for all that it ups your general Nephilim badassness by a lot, it’s not the best material for what you all do.“  </p><p><br/>
"What do you mean?” Alec asked, tilting his head to study Magnus.  </p><p><br/>
“Well, leather is rather restrictive.  No matter how good you are, no matter how much you train, if your clothing is restricting your movement, you shouldn’t be wearing it,” Magnus pointed out.  "Unless there’s another reason that you’re wearing it….which is why I’m asking.“  </p><p><br/>
Alec opened his mouth and thought better of it, snapping it shut a moment later.  "I mean, I’ve never worn it simply because I like the look of it.”  </p><p><br/>
Magnus raised an eyebrow at him.  "It does lend to the bad boy vibe you like to rock, Alexander.  But is there a reason you wear it?“  </p><p><br/>
"It…” Alec looked at his boots next to the door and then down at the jacket he was still wearing.  "Ichor doesn’t stick to it.  It does to other stuff.  It slides right off.“  </p><p><br/>
Magnus snorted.  "The amount of times I have cleaned Ichor off that jacket you’re currently wearing would suggest distinctly otherwise, but I’ll give you that they tend to hold up better.  But that’s just how the fabric is treated, you could buy the same in a hundred different styles.”  </p><p><br/>
Alec tilted his head and stared at Magnus.  "What do you mean?“</p><p><br/>
"Weatherproofing,” Magnus said with a wave towards the boots at the door.  "That’s why stuff slides off your clothing.  Most leather these days comes with it, because otherwise it’s damaged by something as simple as water, and in this city, no one ever carries a damn umbrella when they should and-“</p><p><br/>
"Wait, wait,” Alec said, holding up his hand.  "Jace started wearing leather back when we were in training because he said it was easier to clean off the ichor, and it was.  I wasn’t buying new jackets every other week.“  </p><p><br/>
Magnus blinked and stared at the shadowhunter sitting next to him.  "And I’m sure that he shared this information with everyone, and all of you started incorporating leather into your wardrobes.”  </p><p><br/>
Alec shrugged.  "I don’t know if that’s how it exactly happened, but it sounds close enough to the truth.“  </p><p><br/>
"So,” Magnus started to laugh, pinching the bridge of his nose.  "What you’re telling me is that shadowhunters don’t know what the hell weatherproofing is, so they latched onto the first type of clothing that comes with it?“  </p><p><br/>
Alec opened his mouth and then snapped it shut.  "What’s weatherproofing?  Does that make it waterproof, or something?”  </p><p><br/>
“Or something,” Magnus agreed, snapping his fingers so a pair of khaki pants appeared in his hand.  "See these?“  </p><p><br/>
Alec raised an eyebrow.  "Yes?”</p><p><br/>
“I know they’re not black, but they’ll illustrate my point,” Magnus said, summoning a glass of wine to his hand next.  He waited until Alec was watching and proceeded to pour the wine all over the pants, staring as it slid off the fabric to collect on the couch before he waved it away.  </p><p><br/>
“How?”</p><p><br/>
Magnus sighed and snapped the empty wineglass away, holding the pants out to Alec.  "The fabric has been treated in the same way your precious leather jackets have been.  Some fabric can’t have this done, due to the nature of it, but your shadowhunters could Rainex the rest of their clothing and get the same effect.“  </p><p><br/>
"What in the angel’s name is Rainex?”  Alec asked, staring at Magnus with a frown.  "And why can’t we just buy more clothing that has that already done so we don’t need to do it ourselves?“  </p><p><br/>
"I mean, you could,” Magnus agreed.  "Or you could just Rainex everything you own and it’ll be practically an ichor repellent.“  </p><p><br/>
Alec looked down at his jacket and then back up at Magnus.  “Really?” </p><p><br/>
Magnus grinned and leaned in closer to Alec.  “Yes.  And what do you say to winning a bet with Jace while you’re at it?” </p><p><br/>
Alec raised both of his eyebrows and started to grin.  “I’m listening.”  </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments and Criticisms welcome!</p><p>Come join a Multifandom Discord Server -<br/><a href="https://discord.gg/82pvdE39fD">The Fandom Playhouse!</a></p><p>You can find me here:<br/><a href="http://arialerendeair.tumblr.com/">AriaLerendeair</a></p><p>And on twitter over here:<br/><a href="https://twitter.com/Aria_Lerendeair">Aria_Lerendeair</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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